Or in my case both are for studying....

So so sorry my loves for being so absent, the rush of end of term is still in the midst. I am hoping to begin making more posts once the winter break starts. Here is a little message just to tide you over until more posts begin to surface. 

Please bear with me and I hope you are all doing well!! <3

Image found via Pinterest.

I think it's safe to say that I am officially in the holiday mood considering there has been consistent snow falling in my town for the past two days, I've had to scrape off my car three times in the past week and I had to wear mittens while driving to work this past weekend. That and the fact the snowflakes that were falling yesterday were ginormous and fluffy and now coat every tree branch for as far as the eye can see; I really couldn't ask for anything else... Well maybe I could.... In fact, today's post is completely dedicated to one winter staple that captivated me beyond belief during this year's fall season and I whole heartedly intend to continue indulging in them as the days get colder. Given that there are many things about the winter and Christmas season that I absolutely love, I felt as though I should start early in beginning to talk about them with you. Over the coming weeks there will be posts on the blog here outlining some of my favourite things that winter has to offer. This week, therefore I thought I would kick off this series with one of my holy grail items for the winter season: SWEATERS! I am so absolutely in love with sweaters at the moment and it seems as though everyone else is too. Which I totally don't have a problem with considering that every store I walk into, whether it be Aritzia (this and this), Zara (this, this and this), Club Monaco (these) or Banana Republic (this and this), has an array of soft, cozy, pull over sweaters and turtlenecks in a wide array of colours. I don't think life could get any better to be completely honest. 

What I love about sweaters (as you can see from the images above) is that they are so versatile, yet no matter how you wear them, offer you the same thing. Comfort, warmth and style. I love the pullover and the turtleneck equally because you can dress it up or dress it down. You can wear it under a sleek and streamlined dress coat, or on its own with a pair of jeans and heeled boots. Regardless of how you style it, whether it be for the office, for lounging at home on the couch with a cup of tea and a good book or out skating on the ice rink with your significant other or your girlfriends, sweaters are a necessity. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with having the same style of sweater in multiple colours. I will be doing so in the coming months and you will be sure to know about it when it happens. 

All photos are taken from my tumblr The Stylish Wanderer and my Pinterest (style inspiration board).

There are so many amazing things that I expected would happen as a result of going to school in downtown Toronto, which is why I chose Ryerson in the first place. The energizing hustle & bustle of my daily commute, the endless amounts of fashion inspiration I get from other people on campus and the events I get to attend as a result of both my proximity to city happenings as well as connections from my actual lectures and peers are all factors that cemented my decision to come here and so far I have not been disappointed. But there is also so much happening to me by being down here that I didn't expect. Like being thrown out of class in order to explore amazingly creative and inspiring Toronto districts. My professors (or some) are essentially forcing us to discover Toronto's hidden and un-hidden gems by giving us exit passes from lectures and I am so not mad at it. But don't take this as me getting off the hook, there are still assignments to be submitted as a result of these explorations. But regardless, it's awesome.

Yesterday was one of these days where I and some friends were let loose onto the streets of Toronto and where did we go?! THE DISTILLERY DISTRICT. Yah, that's right. Probably one of the most heavenly places in all of Toronto, with its amazing balance of old industrial architecture with modern art and design not to mention the collection of shops and cafes there are to die for. We saw Building 47, the Nightlight's art installation, the #LOVE art piece, Yonge Eglington Centre for the Arts, Cafe Furrbo, Balzac's Coffee Roasters as well as the construction guys setting up the Christmas tree and holiday decorations. My eyes nearly died of a happiness overdose and so will yours as soon as you scroll down. I am actually already planning my next visit to Distillery and I am pretty certain it will be in a few weeks when they officially unveil the Christmas tree and kick off the holiday season. I honestly don't know what could be better, and it is just the incentive I need to get me through the next few weeks of exams and assignments and all basic school related hellish-ness. So keep on the lookout because a post about that adventure will be coming in the next few weeks and I can guarantee it will be a fantastical holiday feast for the eyes.

So, what are your favourite districts or places in Toronto? Or better yet what spots IN the Distillery District should I pay more attention to the next time I am there? Let me know in the comment section of this post and lets have a discussion about what makes Toronto so great! Hope everyone is having an awesome week and is starting to get as excited about the Christmas/Holiday season as much as I am. And before you ask, yes I am aware it is only November, but we are getting close so the early anticipation is perfectly acceptable in my books.

*All photos are taken by me unless otherwise stated. 

We made friends with the robot just in case an apocalypse ever occurs. Photo courtesy of Nancy Chu

Mandatory shoe selfie. 

Mandatory outfit breakdown: Aritzia Wilfred Wool Coat, Aritzia Blanket Scarf, JCrew pants, Sam Edelman "Chelsea" boots.

I will be the first to admit I whole-heartedly judge coffee shops on their ability to perfectly execute a cappuccino foam design and I can honestly say I don't think I've seen anything better than this. Kerr Street Cafe in downtown Oakville might have just catapulted itself into Holy Grail status without even trying hard and that in itself impresses me. I love when you can walk into a space and just instantly feel at home even when you are a newcomer because so often in today's hustle and bustle intimate connections and relationships often get pushed to the back burner. So to find a space that provides that reprieve from the crazy world beyond its well decorated glass windows, is basically a heaven sent. 

Now, how did I discover this gem of a spot you might ask? Easy. By accident. With my busy schedule I very rarely have time to visit with family and friends and to my own fault I am not the best at carving out time for the people who truly matter in the midst of all the other things I have going on. Yesterday was on of those days that I dedicated to catching up on those important relationships by going out for breakfast with my dad before heading into the city for class. Upon neither of us being prepared with possible places to check out we drove around the unbelievably gorgeous downtown Oakville area (I'm talking gorgeous narrow streets lined with boldly coloured trees in all the fall colours from neon orange, golden yellow, pops of red and a few little hints of green; cobblestone sidewalks and probably the most gorgeous houses...like....EVER). I really should have taken photos because the view with the bright early morning sunlight was just magical, but my eyes were too busy having an orgasm. Sorry, this girl's got to live in the moment sometimes. 

But anyways, this coffee shop was essentially the only one open at ten thirty on a Friday and I could see from the street that it was busy, which meant it had to be good. And boy oh boy was it ever! I ordered the most amazing french toast which was basically five mini french toast sandwiches filled with apple butter, then served with strawberry compote, crushed pistachios and bacon, with a little jug of maple syrup that I literally died when I saw it. I am now on a mission to find miniature steel syrup jugs for my apartment next year so if you know where to get them, don't you dare withhold that valuable intel. My beautiful beverage of choice was a chai latte, and in a world filled with chai latte's on every corner this one was a refreshing variation. There was something about its flavour dynamic that just set itself apart from all the rest and the fact that it was served to me in a glass instead of a coffee mug was a delightful surprise. Dad, attempting to be adventurous order the Eggs Benedict with cape-seed bread and greens which was also an absolute gastronomic marvel, and in order for me to judge the quality of foam designs that Kerr had to offer, he ordered the classic cappuccino. I have got to tell you, whether you go there to eat, to drink, to socialize, pick up a sandwich or dessert to go or all of the above, bottom line you have to go.